Evergreen Content: An Ongoing Source for Inbound Marketing

While I was minding my own business, it showed up on my LinkedIn news feed. A post from a prominent IT information technology company. The post, from Gartner, contained a conceptual model that provided a great overview of the digital marketing landscape. And representations of all the players in it. From search engines to customer analytics to social networks to IT service providers. The diagram, though complex, was engaging.

Utilizing a well-recognized method for generating visibility, I commented on the post as follows:

“This is a great example of "Evergreen" content. The initial post was from May of 2013. Kudos to Gartner for developing relevant content with a long shelf life. Conceptually, it's a great example of repurposing content for inbound marketing.”  

There is no shame in repurposed content. Well done content, that is targeted and visionary, may indeed have a long shelf life. Evergreen content reflects a deep and insightful knowledge of a given topic. Just because it was written in the past is no reason it cannot be tweaked, updated, and presented again. Not everyone saw it the first time. And even if they did, it may not have been relevant to them then, but it might be relevant to them now.

Organize your content using a hierarchical and folder structure that makes sense for your business. Periodically, take a keen eye and evaluate what might still be relevant. Share it with the world again. You may grab the attention of new prospects or remind existing clients of your solid ideas.